Vacationing overseas? Get sunscreen, hat and health insurance

By L.M. Sixel |
April 23, 2014

Vacationers should consider buying additional health insurance that would pay for illness or injury during a vacation.

Hot weather is nearly upon us, which, for many folks, means it's time to plan a summertime getaway. If you're anticipating a vacation out of the country, should you buy a health-insurance policy in case you get ill abroad?

It's not something that many of us think about when we're buying plane tickets, renting a car or shopping for a cruise. But it should be something to consider in case of an illness or accident overseas, especially one in which you need to be flown back to the United States for treatment.

Health-care coverage is typically part of an overall travel insurance policy that covers flight delays, lost luggage and trip interruption costs, said Sue Schmitt, owner of Cruise Planners in Houston.

Schmitt, a travel agent who plans cruise and land packages all over the world, said she recommends the travel insurance to her clients. If they don't want it, she asks them to send her a note in writing that they have rejected the extra coverage.

For those who don't want a travel policy - which is about half of her clients - Schmitt recommends that they call their health-care carrier to find out if they're covered for illnesses or accidents if they venture outside the United States.

One of Schmitt's friends checked and reported back that while her health-insurance policy didn't cover her for accidents and injuries onboard a cruise ship, it did cover her once the ship docked and she was on dry land.

I hadn't thought about buying a special policy until I planned a cruise to the Bahamas last year. It was one of the choices we had to make along with picking a room and deciding when we'd like to eat dinner each night.

It was a last-minute, low-cost cruise, and I wasn't worried so much about losing my luggage between Houston and Florida. But I was worried that I might get hurt on the snorkeling expedition or find myself sick with that dreaded cruise-ship virus.

In the end, my mother, sister and I opted for the extra coverage. Another sister rejected the coverage, figuring she'd be able to handle any medical emergency that came up. Luckily, it turned out we never had to test the policy. But I fear I might have wasted my money because I didn't do my homework in advance.

I checked with one big health insurance carrier in Texas and found that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas provides worldwide coverage for emergency care.

That includes policy holders who travel outside of the country for either business or vacation, said Margaret Jarvis, senior manager of media and public relations. But, she added that anyone traveling overseas should check their policy to find out what coverage they have while traveling.

Helene Sheena has checked and she knows that her own health insurance doesn't cover illnesses and accidents outside of the United States.

Many policies don't, said Sheena, a pediatrician in Houston who likes to travel regularly overseas with her husband and three children. They opt not to buy health insurance for their exotic trips.

Sheena has priced out the cost of coverage, and it is quite expensive. To be on the safe side, she packs a small medical kit including common over-the-counter pain relievers, allergy medications and antibiotics to handle minor problems.

What about someone with on-going health issues? It might be a good idea, she said.